In the last year, East Kootenay residents have accessed a total of $210,000 in rebates through a program that offers one-to-one home energy guidance.

Retrofit Assist program is available in all East Kootenay communities thanks to financial support from the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK).

Since October 2024, 194 households in the region have signed up for personalized guidance on how to reduce their home’s energy use. Registration is now open for another 150 East Kootenay residents to join the program, which is run by the not-for-profit Community Energy Association.

“The goal is to make retrofits less daunting and time-consuming for residents,” said Retrofit Assist Program Manager, Mariah Byers.

“We start with an EnerGuide evaluation which identifies what upgrades would be most effective. Our experts can then identify what rebates are available. We also connect homeowners with authorized contractors and assist with rebate applications.

“There are now many different financial incentives, and they change frequently. That’s where Retrofit Assist comes in – we keep track of all the latest requirements so that you don’t have to.”

On average, East Kootenay Retrofit Assist participants saw their energy use drop by 30% after making changes to their building envelope (insulation or air sealing), trading inefficient furnaces and AC for high efficiency heat pumps, and replacing old doors and windows.

Byers added: “A popular upgrade is adding an electric heat pump, which can heat and cool a home much more efficiently than a gas furnace and air conditioning unit. Even the simple step of sealing small gaps and cracks in the building envelope can also reduce heat leakage by 20 to 30% in some old homes.”

RDEK Board Chair Rob Gay said, “We know that most homes standing today will still be around in 2050. The introduction of Retrofit Assist aligns with the RDEK’s draft Climate Action Plan, which aims to ensure that homes are built and retrofitted to be energy-efficient and to low carbon standards by 2030.

“Having Retrofit Assist’s support in place will make it easier for individuals to achieve this step, which will in turn make our community more resilient to climate change for future generations.”

Sign up at retrofitassist.ca/eastkootenay or 236-576-2502.

By the numbers

• 194 East Kootenay households have joined Retrofit Assist since October 2024.

To date, 144 residents have had an EnerGuide evaluation of their home’s current energy use. This is available to Fortis BC customers for just $99 (instead of $900).

Completed upgrades so far include:

• Fifteen homes installed electric heat pump or dual fuel heat system (electric heat pump and backup gas furnace).
• Three homes installed electric water heaters.
• Two homes upgraded insulation.
• Five homes upgraded doors and windows.
• Five homes installed solar panels.
• At this stage, East Kootenay Retrofit Assist participants have collectively received a total of $210,000 rebates.
• Each house saw an average of 30% reduced energy use.
• These upgrades mean 1026 GJ less energy is being used annually – the energy it takes to power 11 average BC houses for one year.

Case study: “Peace of mind” during major retrofit

Heather Gemmell used the Retrofit Assist program to guide a deep energy retrofit that has reduced her Kimberley home’s energy use by 70%.

Heather accessed $40,000 of rebates covering more than 80% of the cost of energy upgrades, with help from Retrofit Assist’s East Kootenay coordinator Natasha Del Bosco, who lives in Fernie and provides guidance by phone or video call.

“Natasha helped identify relevant rebates and then reviewed quotes from contractors to ensure the applications would be successful,” said Heather.

“There is a lot of peace of mind knowing someone is in your corner making sure everything looks good. It’s a lot of information to take on when you don’t know much about heat pumps and things like that.”

Heather’s upgrades to her 1930s home included installing a dual fuel HVAC system (an electric heat pump and high efficiency gas furnace); installing a heat pump water heater; upgrading to 200 amps electrical service, new doors and windows; attic and basement insulation and air sealing work.

Her post-renovation Energuide evaluation showed that her home now uses 70% less energy, making her house more energy-efficient than the average new-build house of a similar size.

Now that colder temperatures are here, Heather and her two children are enjoying their cozier home and also noticed how much more comfortable the house was in summer.

She added: “If anyone is noticing their home is feeling cold and drafty, I highly recommend you sign up for Retrofit Assist and see what can be done. These rebates won’t be around forever, and they make a huge difference to the cost of upgrading your house.”

Lead image: Heather Gemmell, from Kimberley, received $40,000 in rebates after completing energy upgrades to her Kimberley home with guidance from Retrofit Assist program, which is available to all RDEK residents. Submitted photo

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